BIM for Construction

A BIM expert and friend of mine, (let’s call him Bob) leads the Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) initiatives at a Midwest Mechanical Contracting company. Bob tells me that less than 30% of the time spent in typical construction is spent on wrench turning or hammer swinging. I trust Bob’s opinion, which is based on over 10 years of commercial construction project management, followed by 10 years of using 3D tools and techniques in the office, on the shop-floor and in the field.Bob likes to talk about the obvious areas where he sees time wasted, including: Drawing Interpretation, Planning, Coordination and Layout Material Ordering and Handling Design / Conflict Resolution Looking up and scratching one’s headBob goes on to explain how his company is NOT typical because of their commitment to BIM and VDC. He explains how his company builds a fully constructible “virtual model” which becomes the centerpiece of all project pre-planning. This approach leads to opportunities for higher quality, increased productivity, lower costs, reduced risk and improved safety.Bob and his company have become experts at the basics of BIM, such as clash detection and improved coordination; and they have pushed themselves to do more with BIM than the basics. They are connecting their BIM information to the field by downloading data directly to their Robotic Laser Total Station. They are extracting quantity information from their BIM model, automating many of the tedious estimating tasks resulting in a more accurate buy-out phase. And perhaps most interesting to Bob, his company is generating spool drawings and driving factory-floor automation from their fabrication quality BIM models. Bob is lucky to work in an environment where technology has been embraced, and continuous improvement is a key part of the company’s philosophy. This culture is more than bragging rights about “being on the cutting edge”; this culture is based on delivering higher quality at a lower cost with less waste and less on-site man-hours. Bob has helped his company adopt this approach because together, they recognized BIM and VDC would allow them to become more competitive, gain efficiencies, increase profits and acquire repeat business.While I myself don’t run or manage a construction company, I know if I did I would want my company to be like Bob’s company, and I would be on the lookout for someone like Bob to join my team.

 

Marc GoldmanDirector of StrategyBIM & Virtual Design & Construction

office:      303-482-2629mobile:    303-842-1877mail:        mgoldman@mail.thebluebook.com

BIM for Construction